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"Wavescan" is a weekly program for long distance radio hobbyists produced by Dr. Adrian M. Peterson, Coordinator of International Relations for Adventist World Radio. AWR carries the program over many of its stations (including shortwave). Adrian Peterson is a highly regarded DXer and radio historian, and often includes features on radio history in his program. We are reproducing those features below, with Dr. Peterson's permission and assistance.
Wavescan 478, February 29, 2004
EKKO QSL Stamps on Cards and Letters
Quite recently, the New Zealand DX Times contained an announcement stating that they would like to receive articles from listeners who are holding QSL cards and QSL letters on which EKKO stamps are attached. You will remember that back in the 1920s and 1930s it was the custom in the United States to verify a reception report with a QSL card or letter, and an EKKO QSL stamp as well.
In response to their request, we decided to check just what QSLs we are holding with QSL stamps attached. This is what we found.
In our QSL collection we are holding a dozen or more of these verifications with QSL stamps of various designs attached. These cards and letters are spread out over the years from 1932 to 1973 and they are all mediumwave stations. As far as is known, not one of the American shortwave stations in that era issued a QSL stamp. It is possible, though, that mediumwave stations KGU and KGMB in Honolulu issued QSL stamps to verify the relay of their program, "Hawaii Calls", from the RCA shortwave station at Kahuku.
Two of these QSLs are printed on standard postcards from the American Post Office, and they are verified with the eagle design QSL stamps, one in green and one in red. These stations are KLS in Oakland, California and KDYL in Salt Lake City, Utah.
On a subsequent occasion the same station in Utah, KDYL, attached a QSL stamp in a different design to their QSL card in the year 1937. This stamp is yellow, and the design shows a globe, although it is not the same globe as in the QSL stamp known as the "Bryant Stamp".
Station KID in Idaho Falls, Idaho and KFPY in Spokane, Washington printed their own specific QSL cards, and the QSL stamps attached to these cards are again in the eagle design, and both are in green.
The twin stations in Los Angeles, KFI and KECA, printed their QSL on a Post Office Card with a lined space specifically for the QSL stamp. We are holding three of these cards. Station KHJ in Los Angeles printed their QSL card with a logo design that looks like a QSL stamp.
The Hawaiian station KGU in Honolulu regularly attached a trade promotional stamp to their QSL card, and this card did acknowledge the shortwave broadcasts of the program, "Hawaii Calls". We are holding three of these KGU cards, and each one contains a different, and quite colorful, trade promotional stamp.
The most unusual card of this nature is an EKKO "Proof of Reception" card made out for station KWWG in Brownsville, Texas. The original date in the 1930s is not given. However, a green QSL stamp for WWJ in Detroit is attached, as is also a 6c postage stamp honoring progress in electronics, and the card is postmarked as the First Day of Issue in New York City in 1973.
We are also holding two QSL letters with QSL stamps attached. One is from station KQW in San Jose, California with 500 watts on 1010 kHz in 1940. Their QSL stamp is in the eagle design and it is dark green in color.
The other QSL letter is from station KMOX in St. Louis, Missouri, and the QSL stamp attached to this letter, issued in the year 1940, is actually a small copper plate in the design of a QSL stamp. The design on this copper plate is now badly oxidized, and it shows the KMOX logo with a microphone and the slogan, "KMOX, The Voice of St Louis".